Running, Running From You
by neon maverick
Summary: When Zack runs from home, he meets a gang. The gang seem cool, but they do stuff that people shouldn't do. Stealing. Doing drugs. Beating ... Murder.
1. Trailer

_Here's the trailer for my new story. Hope it adds suspense! Please review!_

* * *

**A fight at home is all it takes…**

'I hate you, Mom! You don't understand me!' Zack screamed, as Cody bit his lip.

'Oh, so I suppose a mother _always_ has to understand her son?!' Carey screamed back.

'That's what a mother should do!' Zack shouted, stepping forward.

'Well, maybe you don't deserve to be my son, then!'

**To push Zack Martin over the edge…**

'I'm sorry, Cody.' Zack kissed his sleeping brother on the forehead, before climbing out the window.

He grabbed the drainpipe, and started to climb down in the dead of night.

**He meets a gang…**

'Name's Brad. You a runaway?' Brad asked.

'I-I-I guess so.' Zack stammered, stepping back as Brad stepped forward.

**And the prettiest girl on the block, Angel…**

'Hey babe.' Brad put an arm round Angel's shoulders as she came closer.

'Hey Brad.' Angel looked uncomfortable at his touch.

**Has a harder time than it looks…**

'I'm sorry, Brad! The guy…he wouldn't give me the stuff, I tried, really I did!' Angel looked as if she was bracing herself for the next part.

A loud scream was elicited from Angel's mouth as Brad brought down a huge fist. Zack gasped through the small crack in the wall.

**Zack thinks that the gang can only get him out of trouble, not into it…**

'Cut him some slack, Brad.' Angel walked nearer Zack. 'You new here?'

'Y-Yeah.' Zack smiled slightly at her and she smiled back.

**Or could they?  
**

'Do you think I'm dumb? I know what you've been doing, Angel! Who here's been cheating on my girl?' Brad yelled, fury burning in his eyes.

'It wasn't them, Brad! It was me…'

**What sort of things do they do?**

'Why aren't you in school?' The man asked.

'We don't go to school, you fag!'

Brad hit him over the head with the barrel of his gun as Zack widened his eyes, stepping backwards.

**And will he ever return?**

'Cody went into depression after you left, Zack! He doesn't talk to anyone anymore!'

**Coming soon.**


	2. Chapter 1: Taking Off

_So, first chapter…hope you enjoy!_

'Are you going to tell Mom that you've failed 8th grade, or shall I?' Cody joked, as he and his twin brother walked along the 23rd floor of the Tipton.

'I might not tell her. I mean, if I tell her, then she'll go ballistic and probably kill me. You know how many times I've failed something…and I really tried this time, really I did!' Zack was on the verge of tears, knowing how close he had been to passing.

'I know, Zack. I saw you studying every night; I don't know how you didn't pass.' Cody said, shrugging.

They walked into the suite and saw their Mom sitting, sowing. She jumped up when she saw her boys. 'Hi guys!'

'Hi Mom.' The boys acknowledged her.

'My boys…passing 8th grade. My little boys are growing up.' Carey said, smiling.

Zack looked around anxiously, and ran off into their room. Carey went after him. Cody followed, looking nervous. He sat down on the bed as Zack and Carey started their conversation.

'Zack, what's wrong?' Carey asked. Her eyes widened in understanding, then burned with anger. 'You failed 8th grade. Didn't you?!'

'Mom, it-it's not his fault.' Cody said.

'Shut up, Cody!' Carey said, forgetting how sensitive he was, still glaring at her older son.

'Hey! Don't shout at him, _I'm _the one that failed 8th grade! Not him.' Zack said, defending his brother.

'I know you failed 8th grade, that's why I'm shouting you! You're so dumb, as thick as two short planks!' Carey shouted back, not really knowing what she was saying.

'I hate you, Mom! You don't understand me!' Zack screamed, as Cody bit his lip.

'Oh, so I suppose a mother _always_ has to understand her son?!' Carey screamed back.

'That's what a mother should do!' Zack shouted, stepping forward.

'Well, maybe you don't deserve to be my son, then!'

Cody gasped, standing up. Zack stepped back, gulping slightly, then dodged around her and ran out the suite, grabbing his skateboard on the way. Carey didn't change her expression – pure anger – but grabbed Cody's shirt as he tried to walk after his brother.

* * *

Zack walked across the park, watching as the sky darkened. He sat down on a wall, and watched a small group of people sit down on a patch of grass and take out bottles of beer from their bags. He caught a small bit of their conversation.

'You want a beer, babe?' One of the older guys said, putting his arm round the only girl.

'No, I think I'll be sensible. Pass us a coke, Rider.' The girl said, shrugging off his arm and gesturing towards another boy.

He threw her a coke, and she caught it with one hand without looking. She looked up and stared at Zack for a second, before looking back down.

Zack looked back up the sky and felt a drop of rain on his cheek. He wiped it off with his cuff and jumped off the wall, before grabbing his skateboard, and skated down a small path away from the small group, ready to go back home. He didn't notice the girl watching him.

* * *

Dinner was uncomfortable that night. Everyone sat in silence, as Zack and Carey avoided eye contact.

'Please pass the salt, Zack.' Carey said, looking at the wall behind him, waiting for her son to do as he was told.

'Nope.' Zack said, using the salt on his own dinner.

'Zack, pass the salt.'

'You can get your own damn salt.' He said simply, pushing his vegetables around his plate.

Carey sighed and took the salt from the other side of the table. The gravy was closer to her, but Zack tried to avoid any conversation with his mother whatsoever.

'Please pass the gravy, _Cody_.' He said, making a point.

Cody swallowed, and tried to pass the gravy, but he was shaking so much that he dropped it. Gravy splattered over him and china shattered everywhere, cutting Cody's hands.

'Cody!' Zack and Carey said at the same time, although Carey said it with anger but Zack said it with concern and sympathy.

Carey jumped up to clear it. Zack jumped up to help Cody. Cody jumped up and ran into their room. Zack was about to go after him, but Carey flung out an arm and pointed at his dinner. Zack sighed and sat back down at the table, continuing to push his vegetables round the plate.

'Zack, eat your vegetables.'

'No.'

'Zack.' Carey said, warning her son.

'I'm not eating my stinking vegetables.'

'Zack, eat your vegetables!'

'You can't tell me what to do! I don't deserve to be your son, _remember_?' Zack said, standing up.

'Zack, just sit down.'

'No!' Zack shouted, picking up his plate.

'Don't you dare, Zachary Martin!'

'Do I?' Zack said, aiming at the wall.

'Don't!'

Zack threw the plate at the wall, and it shattered, as Zack continued glaring. Then he smiled sweetly.

'Oops, slipped.'

Then he went back to glaring at his mother. 'You don't want to know what your punishment is for this, Zachary.'

'If I'm not your son, you can't give me punishments.' Zack said, before walking in and closing the door.

* * *

Zack sat down heavily on the edge of his bed. Cody was asleep, but was tossing and turning. Zack clicked his tongue against his teeth. He got off up his bed, opened the window, and walked back over to his brother's bedside.

He picked up his cell phone, and started to press in the words.

_I'm really sorry, buddy._

_I love u._

_I'll miss U._

He sent the message and saw Cody's cell phone light up, vibrating slightly. He breathed out and threw his cell phone onto his bed.

'I'm sorry, Cody.' Zack kissed his sleeping brother on the forehead, before climbing out the window.

He grabbed the drainpipe, and started to climb down in the dead of night.

The drainpipe started to rattle with the new weight, and both boy and pipe came down, landing with bang and a clatter…


	3. Chapter 2: Meetin' and Greetin'

'Dude! He's waking up! Dude, dude, hey, that was an awesome fall!' Zack heard someone's voice as he struggled to regain his vision.

'Shut up, Rider!' A blurry figure with longish hair came into the picture. 'You okay, dude?'

'I…guess.' Zack tried to sit up. Hands pushed him back down again.

'I wouldn't if I were you. You still look a bit…well, yeah.'

'…What happened?'

'You were climbing down that drainpipe and it came away from the wall.'

'It was awesome!'

'Shut it, Rider!'

A hand reached out and Zack took it gratefully. The figure helped him up and he had to hold tight not to fall again.

'Hey, you! Get your hand off my girl!'

Zack let go too fast and the figure grabbed his shoulder. He opened his eyes completely and saw a muscular guy in front of him. The hand on his shoulder trembled slightly.

'I said, get your hand off!'

'Sorry.' Zack said, quickly, pulling away.

He realised that the hand belonged to a girl who had a smirk on her face. He wasn't sure if it was fake or not.

'You OK, Brad?' she said. 'You seem ever so slightly and ultra delightfully smashed.'

'I'm fine, Angel.' He said, calming down a little. He looked at Zack. 'Were you chatting up my girl?'

'Cut him some slack, Brad.' Angel walked nearer Zack. 'You new here?'

'Y-Yeah.' Zack smiled slightly at her and she smiled back.

Brad glared. Then he smiled. It seems as if everything had started again. Angel walked back near Brad.

'Hey babe.' Brad put an arm round Angel's shoulders as she came closer.

'Hey Brad.' Angel looked uncomfortable at his touch.

Brad let go of her and raised his eyebrows at Zack.

'Name's Brad. You a runaway?' Brad asked.

'I-I-I guess so.' Zack stammered, stepping back as Brad stepped forward.

'Cool. Don't look so scared, man.' Brad smiled slightly, before walking off.

Rider and Angel walked over to Zack. 'You OK, man?'

'I guess.'

'Still an awesome fall.' Rider said.

'Shut it, Rider!'

_The next morning, Tipton Hotel, Suite 2330_

Cody woke up to his mom shaking him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, and then slapped her hands off.

'Where's Zack?!' She sounded slightly upset, but mostly angry.

'I dunno.' Cody said, still half asleep. 'He's right over…' he gestured to his brother's bed, but saw nothing but Zack's cell phone.

'…there.' Cody looked up, fear in his eyes. Zack never went anywhere without his cell phone.

Cody got up, pushing his mom out the way. He picked up the cell phone.

**Message sent to Cody **

Cody dropped the phone and picked up his own.

**One new message from Zack **

Cody pressed the READ button, biting his lip.

_I'm really sorry, buddy._

_I love u._

_I'll miss U._

He noticed that the _'U'_ was capital, meaning that he hadn't forgiven their mom.

'What does it say?' Carey asked.

'He's gone. And I don't think he's coming back.' Cody said, a tear sliding down his cheek.

'Oh, sweetie.' Carey said, coming over to hug him.

'Get away from me!' Cody shouted, pulling away.

'What?'

'You heard. Get away from me. You were the one that made him run away!' Cody yelled, pushing her out of the room, shutting the door. He slid down the door, crying.

_2 days later_

'OK, thank you, Dr Murphy. We'll be there at 3. Psychiatrist Area. Thank you. I'm sure he'll say yes.'

* * *

'No!'

'Cody, it's just a trial. If you hate it, then I won't send you.'

'I can't believe you're sending me to a shrink! I hate you!'

'Dr Murphy can stop all these temper tantrums and your new…style.' Carey said, looking at his new 'emo' look.

'What's wrong with my style?'

'Nothing. It's just slightly…dark.'

Cody shook his head at his mom almost pityingly.

'I can't_believe _you.'


	4. Chapter 3: Come back

_Cody POV_

'I know how you feel, Cody.'

I scoff. Yeah, she really has a twin brother who's run away.

'Just talk to me, Cody.'

Can you bring my brother back? I don't think so.

'I want to help you.'

Aw, how sweet…I think I'm gonna puke.

* * *

_Normal POV_

'Angel's quite cute, don't you think?' Zack asked, taking a few of the sweets in Rider's hand.

'I wouldn't hit on her, dude. That's Brad's girl.' Rider said, throwing a sweet into his mouth.

'Yeah, but…he doesn't actually treat that well.'

'Hey dudes.' Angel walked up to the two.

'Hey.' Zack moved over so she could sit.

'Oh, no. I can't stay. I've got to go talk to Brad.' She noticeably shivered, and then covered it up. 'It's cold. Anyway, I gotta go.' Angel started to walk over to Brad's small 'home'. It was a beaten up shack, long forgotten, but it gave the impression of being haunted and evil. In a way, it was.

Zack looked at Rider. 'Oh no. No, no, no, no. No!' Rider shook his head.

'You don't even know what I was thinking.' Zack said.

'You were thinking that you were going to follow Angel, see what she was so scared about, see if Brad does something to her and protect her, or try to, if he does.'

'Ok so you do.' Zack slumped. 'Please?'

'On your head, not mine.'

'Thanks!' Zack ran off after Angel as she opened the shack door.

He ran over to the shack and looked through a hole in the wall as Angel stood in front of Brad.

'What are you trying to tell me, Angel?' Zack saw Brad smoking and looking at Angel threateningly.

'It's just that…' Brad walked over and pressed the stub of the cigarette into her arm and she hissed in pain. 'I don't think you're telling me the truth.' He said, pressing harder.

'I'm sorry, Brad! The guy…he wouldn't give me the stuff, I tried, really I did!' Angel looked as if she was bracing herself for the next part.

A loud scream was elicited from Angel's mouth as Brad brought down a huge fist. Zack gasped through the small crack in the wall.

Brad looked towards the sound and started to walk forward. Zack ran off and back to Rider, trying to figure out what he just saw.

* * *

_1 week later…_

'Cody, please talk to me. I'm your best mate.' Max rubbed her best friend's back.

Cody had been silent for over a week now. He didn't know why everyone hadn't just given up on him. Zack did.

Didn't he?

Cody didn't know.

Max suddenly remembered something.

"_Whenever I want to get away and you want to find me, the abandoned skate park is my second home. There are no limits there."_

That's what Zack had said when he had had his first real fight with his mom. She got up. 'I'll be back, Cody.'

Cody looked up. _'No she won't.' _he thought. _'No-one cares, not even my twin brother.'_

* * *

Max boarded near a group of kids. 'Hey, does anyone know a Zack Martin?' 

One boy pointed towards two other kids. 'Thanks.' Max ran over to them.

One looked up. 'Zack!' Max gasped at how different he looked.

He had a one red, one blue and one black strip in his hair. He saw her looking. 'It's pen.' He said calmly.

'Back in a sec, Rider.' Zack got up and lead her away from the boy balancing sweets on his forehead.

'Is he alright?'

'He's fine.' Zack looked at her sternly. 'What are you doing here?'

'I missed you.' Max said, slightly taken aback at his sharpness. 'Everyone does. They're all looking for you. Whoa, one minute, why haven't they found you when you're only here?'

'Nobody comes here. When they do, I hide. What do you mean, everyone misses me? My mom doesn't, that's darn sure.'

'She does!' Zack looked disbelieving and started to walk away.

'Come back, Zack! Zack!' Max was starting to cry.

'Why? Why should I?' Zack turned round sharply, waiting for an answer.

'If not for anyone else, what about Cody?' Zack stiffened as he heard his younger brother's name.

'Cody's just fine. He's a mommy's boy, he'll get over me.' Zack felt bad as he said this and turned away to go back to Rider, who was watching with growing confusion.

'Cody went into depression after you left, Zack! He doesn't talk to anyone anymore!' Max screamed at him.

Zack turned round again. 'What?'

'He can't live without you, Zack! You're his older brother! You're supposed to protect him!'

Zack felt tears come to his eyes.

'Just go see him. He loves you, he won't abandon you.' Max said this with such bitterness and blame.

'Are you saying I don't love him? He's my twin; of course I bloody love him! I didn't want to leave him; I just had to get away from my mother!'

'Then it won't hurt to come and see him while your mom's sorting out his counsellor.'

'Cody has a shrink?'

'It was your mom's last resort. Just go and see him. Please?' Max was so pleading that Zack had trouble stopping his tears.

'I'll think about it.'


	5. Chapter 4: My Immortal

Cody sat in the corner of his room

_Italics are song lyrics – Evanescence-My Immortal_

Cody sat in the corner of his room. The curtains were shut and neither bed was made. His nails had been bitten to stubs and he'd run out of tears. It was as if Zack was still here.

_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave, I wish that you would just leave_

_Cause your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

He wanted to scream. It was as if every fear anyone had ever experienced were all bottled up inside of him. He'd thought of cutting once or twice, but the two scars on his wrist were merely healing scratches. People had told him cutting helped but they were all wrong. It hadn't brought his brother back. Maybe he needed to cut deeper.

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

He'd always used to protect Zack, just like Zack had Cody. If he had cried, Zack would have hugged him and told him everything would be okay. But now Zack wasn't here, Cody would cry and no-one would protect him. Not a single person.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me_

Cody remembered all the times when Zack had pulled him into a prank. When Zack never took the blame upon himself, Cody would take half the accusation and get grounded for at least 2 weeks. He still dreamed about those days. But then suddenly, his mom would appear and Zack would run. He never said goodbye.

_You used to captivate me by your resonating mind  
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
_

There was a fumbling outside. Cody looked up, but made no move to stop whatever was happening. If it was a burglar, let them burgle. If it was murderer, let them murder. The door to his room opened and a figure stood there. Cody took a sharp breath – he knew who it was.

'Hi Cody.'

_Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

Zack walked forward. 'Cody?' Cody shuffled as far he could backwards, which wasn't much.

Zack kneeled beside him. Cody realised that there were tears left in him. They were spilling down his cheeks. Zack reached out and his cold fingers wiped away stray tears. Cody suddenly started to scream. Zack jumped slightly, taken aback by the noise.

'Cody, calm down. I won't stay if you don't want me to.' Zack started to walk away, hurt by his brother's actions.

Suddenly a hand grabbed his dangling arm. Zack turned back round. Cody stopped screaming.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me _

Zack bit his lip. He sat down in front of Cody and pushed his bangs out of his face.

'Talk to me.' Zack said, looking at him, without a single blink.

Cody opened his mouth. For a while, no sound came out and Zack was ready to give up again. 'I missed you.' He whispered.

Zack looked at him, silently telling him to go on.

'I kept telling myself you'd come back. I keep my cell with me all the time. I don't want to talk to anyone. _You_ did that to me. My life crumbled after you left. I would've gone with you. Obviously you don't care enough to tell me you were leaving. I thought you were my best friend. I guess I've been alone all along. _You used me_.'

_I tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone,  
But though you're still with me, I've been all alone all along_

Zack was silent. He wanted to yell at Cody for even considering that he didn't care. He wanted to shout at him for thinking that he'd used him. He wanted to… Zack didn't know what he wanted.

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I've held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me. _

He wanted to stay with his brother. He wanted to help Angel. He wanted to stay away from his mom. He just wanted to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

_Me._

Eventually Zack got up. He didn't know what he was doing.

_Me._

'I gotta go.' He said.

He left the suite. He left the hotel. He went back to the skate park.

What else was there to do?

_Me._


	6. Chapter 5: Mistakes and Surprises

Brad walked into a small corner shop with Zack. 'Just a test, Z.'

Zack bit his lip as he walked into the shop as well; he didn't want to do this. After the scene he'd seen with Brad and Angel, he didn't want to anywhere alone with home. He'd also seen Brad slip a gun into his back pocket before they went.

He didn't want to know what this "test" was. It was the middle of the school day; he personally did not think that this was the best time.

The man behind the till looked suspicious as Brad walked in. Zack didn't want him to question Brad because he didn't know what the older boy was capable of.

Brad took some cigarettes off a shelf, his back turned to the owner, and slipped them in his pocket. 'Go on, then.' He nodded to the cigarettes and looked at Zack expectantly. Zack looked surprised, but he took them anyway. The minute Brad walked away to look at something else, he placed them back on the shelf, breathing deeply.

Eventually Brad went over to the counter, his hand placed on the gun in his back pocket.

'Why aren't you in school?' The man asked.

'We don't go to school, you fag!'

Brad hit him over the head with the barrel of his gun as Zack widened his eyes, stepping backwards.

'What the hell did you do that for?!' Zack said, as the man fell down behind the counter, unconscious.

'Just run!' Brad yelled as he sprinted down the road, Zack following him. He didn't know what else to do.

* * *

'Hey, Brad. That's the last cigarette.' One guy said, shaking the packet upside down in emphasis.

'Oh, that's cool. Zack got some too, right?' Brad said, unfazed.

Zack looked up. 'Er, well, you see…I sort of put them back.'

Brad stood up, making Zack stand up too. 'Repeat.'

'I didn't…I didn't wanna steal them.' Zack said, gulping harshly.

'Didn't you?' Brad said, taking his wrist and spinning it round, making Zack yelp in pain.

'Brad!' Angel stood up. 'Stop it!'

Brad took no notice and slammed Zack against a wall, taking him by the neckline of his shirt. He kneed him in the stomach, causing Zack to groan. He pushed him up hard against the wall, and tightened his hold around Zack's neck, leaving the smaller boy choking.

'Brad, stop it; you're killing him!' Angel screamed.

'Fine. Maybe I'll just kill his brother instead.' Brad said, loosening his grip.

Zack lunged forward, knocking Brad to the ground. Brad was taken by surprise, and Zack punched his face repeatedly. 'Don't…you…_ever_…touch….Cody!' he said, between punches.

'Ooh, Cody, is it?' Brad said, making him angrier. Zack took Brad's neck in his hands, just as Brad had done with him, and squeezed hard. There was blood coming out of Brad's mouth by now and coughing for air made it worse.

'Zack, Zack!' Angel shouted, pulling him off of Brad and away from the group. 'Zack, he's not going to hurt Cody.' She pulled him behind a building so that no-one could see them. 'He won't.'

Zack calmed down, breathing deeply. Angel leaned forward, looking him in the eyes. Zack suddenly crushed his lips against hers, catching Angel off guard. She slightly struggled, but ended up kissing him back, making it deeper. A few seconds later, she pulled back.

'Oops.' She said, biting her lip, giggling.

**Oops indeed. Please Review! Please? Please, please, please??  
**


End file.
